


I Bought You Nothing

by writershapeholeonthedoor



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love, Romance, True Love, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 23:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19840678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writershapeholeonthedoor/pseuds/writershapeholeonthedoor
Summary: Her stomach made a flip, the bad type that made her want put her breakfast back to the world, but she kept her slow pace in the sidewalk. By her side, inumerous man’s walked by, holding roses, talking on their phones, rushing to get somewhere. To celebrate.





	I Bought You Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> That's one of my first works in the Person of Interest universe, so let me know if I screwed up at some point. Go follow me on tumblr, @imagineheadcanonsarea, and send me prompts if you have them.  
> Also, english is not my first language, so let me know if there's anything wrong.

Sameen Shaw didn’t have to say it aloud, her face was like a open book to her feelings and, if Reese wasn’t so scared of her, he could have pointed that out. Instead, he pushed one of the heart balloons away from his face and took another step inside. The restaurant had more people then he thought they could fit inside, the floor was covered for a thin layer of small hearts cut in red and pink paper, there was balloons everywhere and the piano in the corner was playing a soft melody. Reese couldn’t remember the last time he celebrated Valentine’s Day, and he was certain that Shaw never had, but his memories couldn’t be that wrong. It was lunch time. Lunch. How could people be already celebrating it? And in the closest restaurant from the subway no less.

“Happy Valentine’s!” The waitress’s smile was almost cutting her face in half and Reese more felt than saw Shaw’s fists clutching together by her side. “Where do you want to sit? We still have a table for two in the back, close to the piano, very romantic.”

Reese opened his mouth to answer – not sure exactly what – when Shaw turned around in her heels and stormed out like a nature fury. The woman shot him a confused look, almost in the edge of tears, so he quickly shook his head with a side smile. “Not her favorite holiday. We will come back tomorrow though.”

“Are you sure? Couples are having 40% off today!”

John moved the words around his head. That was a lot of money... “Well, I will go after her.” The man turned around, openning the door just in time for a young couplet o slide in, before walking out himself. Shaw was standing a few feets away, glaring at him like he was Satan’s son. “40% off, Shaw! Come on!”

She rolled her eyes, placing her hands in the pockets of her jacket with enough rage to make Reese also roll his eyes. “You’re crazy if you think I will put my feet back in that place.”

He sighed, throwing a sad look over his shoulder to the nice restaurant behind him, before taking the steps to reach the woman. “Not your thing then?” John asked after a couple of minutes in a silent walk to the next restaurant. He wanted to point out that it was probably in the same situation, but he was hungry and maybe their discount would be more attractive to Shaw.

The woman scoffed to that like it was the biggest euphenism she had ever heard. “A Holiday made up to make people spent money in shitty presents and pay for dinners they can’t afford just to make someone else happy? I will pass, thanks.”

Reese moved his head in agreement for a second. “So... Christmas is also off the table?”

“You can also add Thanksgiving.” Shaw didn’t moved even one foot to the side when she saw a couple walking straight at them. The young boy had to let go of his girlfriend’s hand so Shaw could walk between them. Reese threw them an apologizic smile, but they had already walked away hand in hand again.

The pair walked in silence for another minute, before stoping in front of another restaurant. They looked inside and, just like John knew, it was filled with couples sharing their lunch with big smiles and heart eyes. And only 20% off, he almost cried at that. “There is another one across the street, but they only serve japonese food.”

Shaw made a face to that. “Let’s just eat a hot dog and be over it.” She headed to the hot dog guy before he could reply, so Reese just followed her with a sigh. “Two and a coke.” Shaw said before the old man could ask for her order. “You?” She threw the question at Reese without turning around.

He smiled, watching how the man arched one eyebrown towards her. “The same.”

“On the way!” The man shouted, already openning the things he was going to use.

The silence was back until a thought cross Reese’s mind. “What about Root?”

“I’m sure she can buy her own lunch, wherever she is.” The short woman rolled her eyes, pinching her nose for a second.

“No, I mean, yeah, but like... what does she think about Valentine’s Day?” He shrugged, looking down at his colegue with the corner of his eyes. He didn’t want to give her a reason to punch him today.

John watched how her jaw tensed and her eyes darted around. People would think she was mad, but he knew it was her way to show confusion. Maybe... fear? No, not Sameen Shaw. “How am I supposed to know?” She spilled the words out like they were bitter in her mouth.

“It’s your first Valentine’s Day together, like together together. Shouldn’t you like... have asked her?” The hot dog dude turned to ask them if they wanted him to put their orders in a bag, but Reese beat him to it. “Different bags, please.”

The woman stayed in silence until they had their hot dogs in hands and were waking again. “She’s not here, so it dosen’t matter.”

It was true. Root was gone for almost two weeks now and the only reason they knew she was still alive was because she kept texting Shaw every now and then with the most random phrases any of them had ever saw. Yet... “Yes, but it dosen’t mean you can’t celebrate when she’s back or something. I mean...”

“Do _you_ want to celebrate it, Reese?” The words barely found space between her teeths to get out and suddenly Reese was very aware that his next words would make a difference between a black eye or not.

“Just saying.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s a big deal for her, but hey, you would know better.” He added quickly. John never thought that day would come, but when his phone ranged he felt a relieve he never felt before. “Reese?” He answered it before the first ring was even over. “Ok, yeah, sure, meet you there.” Shaw was already facing him, ready to hear the direction, but he shook his head. “Fusco need my help with something at the police.” Reese turned to the other direction, walking away from the subway – and from Shaw. “See you.”

Shaw sighed. She hated to have nothing to do, specially when the only one around was Harold, but she could’t just hang out with Fusco and Reese at their other job. Shaking her head, Shaw started moving again. Maybe she could take Bear for a walk or something, clean her head, tire him down. After lunch, though.

 _Maybe it’s a big deal for her_. The words ran in her ears like a granade had just exploded by her side. Reese knew nothing, there was no way he could possibly know if it was true or not. But the seed was already planted between her thoughts and Shaw couldn’t push the idea away.

_Yes, what if Valentine’s Day is a big deal for Root?_

_Who cares?_

_You do._

_No, I don’t._

_Yes, you do._

Shaw rolled her eyes to herself. Her mind was driving her crazy since the day she met Root and it was excrutiating. Five months ago, before they became a thing – she refused to use the word ‘couple’ – she would not having that internal discussion. Valentine’s Day would be just another day that she would order some pizza if she was lucky enough to go home or shooting someone, if she was really really lucky. So why was her mind screaming at her for not making plans for tonight? It’s not like Root was even there to celebrate. Not that they would, if she was.

_But what if she wanted to?_

Rolling her eyes, Shaw huffed at herself. That was the stupidiest fight she ever had with her own thoughts and off course it would be because of Root. It’s not like her brain can shut up about the hacker anyway.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a old man popped in front of her, almost knocking her over. He had just walked from some store and he was holding a large roses bouquet in one hand while other was fighting to put his wallet back on his brown jacket.

“Oh, dear! I’m sorry.” He had a gentle and apologetic smile, barely able to stend in his feet when he took a step back so they wouldn’t bump into each other.

Shaw had half a mind to just keep walking, but the flowers in his hands catch her eyes before she could do anything else. “It’s okay.” The words felt weak running throught her lips.

“They’re gorgeous aren’t they?” The old man laughed, throwing his head behind. He quickly moved his hand to stop his hat to fall, still laughing happily. “Those are for my wife!” He shook his head. “I hope you get one of these too, dear! I have to get going, happy Valentine’s!” The man was walking away before Shaw was able to recover from the craziest talk she ever had with someone that wasn’t Root.

Root.

Why did her mind keep coming back to that name?

If her mother could see her right now, Shaw was sure she would say something around the lines of “one day your eyes will fall from your face with how hard you roll them”, but the ex marine couldn’t say she would be wrong to say that. But when her eyes stoped they imediatly found the store the old man had come from. A floriculture.

God, Shaw couldn’t believe she was about to do that. She would blame Reese forever. It was his fault. He was the one who kept putting things in her head. She should make him pay for it too...

“Can you wait a second, ma’an? We will be right there!” A woman, looking not much older than her, called from behind a bar, partially balanced in a stool while she tried to reach a large vase in the higher shelf.

Shaw looked around the place then. There was maybe eight or nine guys inside, all waiting for one of the attendants to grab whatever they were waiting for. Beside the lady, who was wearing a apron with the store’s name on it, there was a teenager boy, two other mans and an older lady, all holding different types of roses in their hands while searching for changes.

 _Of course_ , she thought to herself. _It’s Valentine’s Day, Shaw, did you thought it would be empty? It was a terrible idea._

“Hello! How can I help you?” The new person in front of her was cleaning their hands in some cloth, while walking towards Shaw with a grin.

_What was with everyone smiling today? Is just another day._

_Yes? So why are you in a floriculture?_

“I, uh – I’m looking for, uh – you know, some...” Shaw was barely able to stop herself from reaching for the gun in her waistband to shoot herself with it.

The woman, with a blond hair stuck in a ponytail, took pity on her. “Flowers? I’m happy to say this is the right place indeed.”

Shaw felt her ears getting warmer, but she choose to ignore it. “Yes.”

“Ok.” The blonde smiled. “My name is Jane, I’m going to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.”

And indeed she had. Shaw left the floriculture half an hour later, hot dogs and coke in one hand and a small bouquet in the other. They weren’t roses. First because roses are just too lame – too personal, her head screamed at her – but also because they’re some expensive motherfuckers. Especially in Valentine’s Day. Instead, the woman – Jane – managed to creat a beautiful, even if it was small, bouquet with red and pink carnations and yellow dahlias, all together with some random leaves here and there.

Shaw was not a flowers fan, but she had to admit it looked amazing. So yeah, it wasn’t roses, but it held the same meaning. Well, that was what Jane had told her, because, like it was said before, Shaw was not a flower person.

Red carnation means respect, love and passion. The pink ones represent happiness and gratitude. And yellow dahlias, well, those were the ones that Shaw was more reluctant to agree on, but she finally did. Reciprocal union. Connection. Alliance. All of those things made her heart swollen in her chest everytime she would lay her eyes in Root, it was true. Even if Shaw never said any of this things aloud and even if her limited capacity to feel real emotion could get in the way sometimes, she knew that she felt like that. For Root. So yes, she didn’t cared that the hot dogs were probably cold now and that the coke was too hot, because she had something for Root now.

 _In case she does celebrate this stupid Holiday after all_. Lunch time was almost over, which meant people were walking faster to get to their destination and not be late, but Shaw suddenly slowed down her pace, almost making a completly stop. _What if she dosen’t?_

Her stomach made a flip, the bad type that made her want put her breakfast back to the world, but she kept her slow pace in the sidewalk. By her side, inumerous man’s walked by, holding roses, talking on their phones, rushing to get somewhere. To celebrate.

_What if Root don’t want to celebrate it and I just show up with this stupid flowers and make a fool out of myself?_

_Damn you, Reese!_

Shaw groaned, not paying attention to the weird looks she received from some other pedestrians. That was the stupidiest idea she ever had and she knew it since the beginning. She shouldn’t have let John get in her head like that, she shouldn’t have spent money in those silly flowers and she shouldn’t be so worried about some stupid holiday. It’s just another day, a normal day.

With a heavy sigh, Shaw took a sudden step to the side, almost bumping into the people around her. Some man made a rude comment towards her, but a sharp glare made him run away quickly. She spotted the garbage can just a block from the subway entrancy and walked towards it with firm steps, even if her hands were shaking a little.

It was a shame to let Jane’s masterpiece go to the dump, but it would be more of a shame to see Root’s face if she ever saw that bouquet in her hands. Shaw had just loosened the first finger when a know – chearfull, delighted and filled with that cocky tone that made Shaw’s stomach flip again – voice rang in her ears from the ear bug.

“Don’t do that, sweetie, I liked those.”

“Root.” Shaw let the name scrow pass her clenched jawn, looking around for a brief second, even if she knew that the woman wasn’t there. Her ears started feeling warm again and it quickly spread to the rest of her face.

“Hello, sweetie. I missed you.” The younger woman couldn’t see her, but she was sure the hacker had that side grin that made her whole face scream sarcasm and honesty at the same time.

“What are you doing here?” It was a stupid question, but, to be honest, Shaw’s mind was too clouded with something to be clear. Happiness, she wondered, maybe that’s what happiness feel like.

“I was waiting for you to come back with your lunch so I could steal a bite.” Root chuckle ranged throught the ear bug and Shaw felt her heart miss a beat in her chest before falling to her lower stomach like a rock. If the hacker was listening to the whole thing since Reese and her had stoped to buy the hot dogs, she had hear much more than Shaw was confortable with. And if she liked how the bouquet looked, it meant she had done more than just listen.

“Get your own lunch.” Shaw finally took a step back, away from the trash can, avoiding the worried glare some people were throwing to her direction. The hand that was holding the bouquet was shaking slightly, but she didn’t let it go.

“You need to learn how to share, sweetie.”

“And you need to learn how to don’t hear other people’s conversations.” Shaw scoffed back, jogging to cross the last street corner to enter the subway. Looking around briefly to make sure no one was watching her, she slided inside.

“But then what satisfaction would I get?” Root turned around in the chair, legs crossed and hands playing with her own fingernails, half smile in place and left eyebrow raised almost to her hairline. Behind her, a computer showed inumerous images from the security cameras spread around town, moving from face to face, searching.

Shaw stood there for a couple of seconds, trying to fill her lungs with air again after being knocked out with the vision of the other woman. “I’m not sharing my lunch.” She said, walking to sit in the farthest bench from Root.

The hacker wasn’t having it though. She imediatly rose to her feet, taking three large steps towards Shaw, before using one hand to tug in the loose beam from the other woman’s black shirt, silently calling her to get closer. Shaw rolled her eyes, put placed the bag with her poor excuse of a lunch in the bench and took a step closer to Root.

“Are those for me?” Root’s voice was dripping with irony and Shaw thought about punching the smile from her face, but choose to roll her eyes instead.

“No.”

“Well, I hope they aren’t for Harold.” The taller woman smile grew bigger.

Shaw ran her tongue in her front teeths twice, trying to ignore how hot her face was feeling and how warm her chest was getting. “Just take it.” She spilled the words out like they were poison, all but throwing the bouquet in Root’s arms and taking two very needed steps back. The back of her knees hit the bench behind her and she took the oportunity to sit down. Her legs felt like jelly, her knees were shaking and her feet felt numb. That was probably the first time in her life that Shaw ever felt scared. And she had faced armed mans and armies before.

“They’re gorgeous, sweetie.” Root brought the bouquet closer to her face to look at it, before pushing it away to look at it from another angle. “Cute.” Her smile was sly again. “Just like you.” She winked in the last sentence, turning her head to the side when a pink tone started to colour her cheeks.

Of course her blush had nothing on Shaw, who looked like someone had just threw a fresh tomate in her face. The smaller woman cleared her throat, openning the bag and keeping her eyes at the hot dogs so she wouldn’t have to face Root. Definitelly the worst idea she ever had.

“They will die in a couple of days.” That was the only thing Shaw could thing to say. Very romantic.

“Well, I...” Root’s voice died in her throat mid sentence when a ringtone filled the space between them. With an apologetic smile, the hacker reached for her phone in her pocket, quickly reading something on it. When she was done, it was her time to sigh. “I have to go, sweetie, but I will be back for dinner.” Root put her phone back and leaned over before Shaw could think. Her lips rested against Shaw’s head for only two seconds, but it was enough to make both woman tingle from head to toe. “What do you say I get us pizza?”

“No fancy restaurant?” Shaw managed to ask with a sneer that made her proud, even if the shivers in her arms totally made her words loose some effect.

Root chuckled. “A reservation on Valentine’s Day? If I knew you would want to celebrate it, I would have called to do it before Christmas was over.”

“I don’t want to...!” Before Shaw could finish her sentence, Root was out of her personal space and half way towards the exit, moving her car keys like she was a fucking teenager using daddy’s Mercedes for school for the first time.

“See you later, sweetie. Happy Valentine’s!"


End file.
